Contour squeeze molding machine



CONTOUR SQUEEZE MOLDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 22. 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR. EDMOND K. HATCH FIG 2 5mm, a "mulls ATTORNEYS g- 7, 1965 E. K.HATCH 3,200,449

CONTOUR SQUEEZE MOLDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 22, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. @N EDMOND K. HATCH BY HG q, Uhfllin, milky (Wally ATTORNEYSAug. 17, 1965 E. K. HATCH 3,200,449

CONTOUR SQUEEZE MOLDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 22. 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG8 FIG 7 I22 35 us '2' H5 6 W 7 I09 Ufa-n8 n3 "3-- I 50 35 '7 n9 I20 86"8 we 9 98 n2 FIG 6 as m v v v FIG 5 INVENTOR. EDMOND K. HATCHOIIIZIIIIL IIUIQH ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,200,449 CONTOURSQUEEZE MDLDING MACHINE Edmond K. Hatch, Brecksville, Ohio, assignor toThe Osborn Manufacturing Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of OhioFiled Dec. 22, 1961, Ser. No. 161,459 22 Claims. (Cl. 2220) Thisinvention relates generally, as indicated, to a contour squeeze moldingmachine and more particularly to a versatile foundry molding machine forrapidly producing a variety of foundry sand molds.

In foundry molding for casting finish requirements, it has been founddesirable to employ a higher grade or facing sand adjacent the patternand a molding sand in the remainder of the mold. Accordingly, a facingsand is placed directly against the pattern and the remainder of theflask confining the mold is filled with a different grade molding sand.In the high speed automatic production of molds, a properly layered sandcharge to provide a facing for the mold is, of course, diificult toobtain. Moreover, in machine foundry molding, foundry molds are producedat such rapid rates it becomes desirable to provide a machine thatisable to produce such layered foundry molds while yet employing a varietyof patterns. Accordingly, a machine wherein the pattern can quickly andreadily be changed and one in which a corresponding squeeze board canalso readily be changed is highly to be desired.

It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to providea foundry molding machine adapted for high speed automatic operationwhich will produce layered sand molds.

It is a further important object to provide a foundry molding machinewhich will automatically form a sand charge having different grades ofsand therein to be positioned in a mold box with one of the grades ofsand therein disposed against the pattern.

Another important object is the provision of a molding machine whichwill quickly and easily supply a facing and molding sand to a foundrymold box properly positioned.

It is another object to provide a foundry molding ma chine whereinselected squeeze boards may be positioned in operative sand squeezingposition Without interrupting the cycle of operation of the machine.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention,then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described andparticularly pointed out in the claims, the following description andthe annexed drawings setting forth in detail a certain illustrativeembodiment of the invention, this being indicative, however, of but oneof the various ways in which the principle of the invention may beemployed.

In said annexed drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary transverse section of a molding machine inaccordance with the present invention taken substantially on the line1--1 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the molding machine;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the molding machine partially broken awayand in section;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 44 ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevation of the carriageassembly;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail view illustrating the carriage latchingmechanism;

FIG. 7 is a somewhat diagrammatic vertical section illustrating theformation of the mold box; and

3,266,449: Patented Aug. 17, 1965 FIG. 8 is a similar vertical sectionillustrating the sand being squeezed in such mold box by the selectedsqueeze board.

Referring now to the annexed drawings and more particularly to FIGS. 1through 4, it will be seen that the illustrated embodiment comprises abase I mounted in a pit 2 in a foundry floor 3 with a further slightlydeeper pit 4 within such pit 2 accommodating the blind ends of clamppiston-cylinder assemblies 5 and 6. The machine includes four columnframe members 7, 8, 9 and 10, which may be of the square section tubularconfiguration illustrated more clearly in FIG. 4 and these columnssupport the various components of the machine.

Mounted on the top of such column members 7 through 10 is a head 12 ofsuitable plate framing which includes two molding sand hoppers 13 and 14into which a suitable grade of molding sandmay be dumped by an overheadconveyor system or the like. Respective cut-off plates 15 and 16 at thebottom of the molding sand hoppers are actuated by piston-cylinderassemblies 17 and 18, respectively, mounted on pairs of brackets 19 and20. Each of the cut-off plates 15 and 16 is provided with flanged edgeportions which ride on roller bar conveyors, the plate 15 riding onconveyors 21 and 22, and the plate 16 riding on conveyors 23 and 24.(Note FIG. 3.) The roller conveyors 21 and 24 are mounted on bracketsextending between the columns 9 and 10, and 7 and 8 respectively whereasthe center roller conveyors 22 and 23 are mounted on a central framemember 26 depending from the center of head 12 between the hoppers 13and 14. It can now be seen that molding sand placed within such hopperswill drop upon the cut-off plates 15 and 16 in their closed position toform a charge of molding sand.

Laterally adjacent and laterally aligned with the molding sand hoppers13 and 14 there is mounted on the head 12 by brackets 29 facing sandhoppers 3i) and 31 which may be loaded with a suitable grade of facingsand through an overhead conveyor system or the like. Cut-off plates 34and 35 for the facing sand hoppers 30 and 31 respectively each include alouvered sand box as shown at 36 and 37, respectively. Such sand boxesare substantially centrally disposed from the ends of the cut-off platesso that when the respective sand box is beneath the molding sand hopper,the plate will extend beneath the respective facing sand hopper to cutoff the sand there-in. When the cut-off plates 34 and 35 are actuated bypairs of piston-cylinder assemblies 38, 39 and 40, 41 respectively tomove the boxes 36 and 37 beneath the facing sand hoppers 30 and 31, suchcut-off plates will extend rearwardly as shown at 42 sufficiently far toclose chutes or boxes 43 also mounted on the head 12 extending invertical alignment beneath the molding sand hoppers 13 and 14. Therespective cut-off plates and sand boxes ride on roller bar conveyors45, 46 and 47, 48. The roller bar conveyors 45 and 48, like theconveyors 21 and 24, may be mounted on the columns 9 and 10 and 7 and 8respectively. The center roller bar conveyors 46 and 47 may be mountedon the depending frame member 26. Cover plates 49 and 50 extend betweenthe conveyors 45, 46 and 47, 48 respectively adjacent the facing sandhoppers 30 and 31. Such mounting may preferably be obtained byheavy-duty adjusting screws indicated at 51. These screws, which carrythe roller bar conveyors 45 through 48 and accordingly the cut-offplates 34 and 35, the facing sand boxes 36 and 37, the appurtenantlouvers and cylinders, etc. serve to increase or decrease the volume ofthe molding sand added to the charge by raising or lowering the cut-offplates 34 and 35 with respect to the cut-off plates 15 and 16. Therewill be four such heavy-duty adjusting screws 51 for each cut-olf plate34 and 35. It is noted that alteration of the volume of molding sand byadjustment of the screws 51 raises and lowers the cutoff plates 34 and35 with respect to the facing sand hoppers 30 and 31 which are mountedon the head 12, but this does not affect the volume of facing sanddropping into the louvered sand boxes 36 and 37.

Having seen how the volume of the molding sand can be controlled in thesand charge, adjusting screws 52, which control the vertical distancebetween the louvered bottom frame 53 of the boxes 36 and 37, extend fromthe plates 34 and 35 to the frames 53 and are effective to control thedepth of the relatively shallow boxes 36 and 37. The louvers for therespective boxes 36 and 37 are operated by piston-cylinder assemblies 54and 55 respectively which are supported beneath the end portions 42 ofthe cut-off plates by brackets 56 or the like. Accordingly, screws 52control the volume of the facing sand deposited in boxes 36 and 37simply by controlling the depth of such boxes and the screws 51 controlthe volume of the molding sand charge.

It can now be seen that the illustrated machine is in reality twomachines in one. Copes and drags may be made by the machine inside-by-side fashion with the cope and drag flasks being shuttled intothe machine together in tandem in the direction of the arrow B in FIGS.2, 3 and 4. Such cope and drag flasks thus may be shuttled into themachine on suitable conveyors indicated generally at 57 externally ofthe machine. The finished half sand molds may be ejected from themachine in the direction of the arrow X on a suitable external conveyor58 which is, of course, aligned with the entrance conveyor 57, both ofwhich are aligned with roller bar conveyors 59 and 60 secured bysuitable mounting brackets between the columns 9, 7 and 10, 8respectively. As seen in FIG. 3, the cope molding machine may be theunit on the left and the drag molding machine may be the unit on theright. Suitable latch and stop mechanisms may be provided properly tocenter the cope and drag flasks in the respective molding machine. Upsetframes 61 and 62, marginally dimensioned to correspond to the cope anddrag flasks respectively, are each mounted on pairs of pistoncylinderassemblies 63 and 64, on opposite sides thereof, respectively, therebeing four such piston-cylinder assemblies for each upset frame 61 and62. These piston-cylinder assemblies may be mounted on brackets on theroller conveyors 59 and 60 which are, of course, secured to the columnsof the machine frame. The rods of such piston-cylinder assemblies 63 and64 are fastened through brackets 65 and 66 respectively to the upsetframes 61 and 62. The piston-cylinder assemblies 63 and 64 willpreferably be pneumatic and air will be supplied under pressure to therod ends of such piston-cylinder assemblies which will tend to maintainthe rods and pistons thereof in a lowermost position. Accordingly, theair in cylinders 63 and 64 tends to maintain the fill frames resilientlyin their lowermost position.

Each of the vertically extending clamp squeeze pistoncylinder assembliesand 6 is provided with a table as shown respectively at 68 and 69 whichare supported on the respective rods of such piston-cylinder assembliesextending through flexible boots as shown at 70 and 71. Guide rods 72extending down through the base into the pit 4 may be employed with eachsqueeze piston-cylinder assembly to keep the respective tables fromrotating about the axes of such piston-cylinder assemblies. Patterns 73and 74 may be placed upon the tables 68 and 69 respectively, suchpatterns including pattern plates 75 and 76 respectively. As is evidentin FIG. 3, such pattern plates extend beyond the side marginal edges ofthe tables 68 and 69 so that as the piston-cylinder assemblies 5 and 6lower the tables, such patterns will marginally rest upon rollerconveyor sections 77, 78, 79 and 80, continued lowering of such tableslifting the pattern plates from the pin-bushing connections therewith.The roller conveyor 77 may be mounted between the columns 9 and and theconveyor section 80 between the columns 7 and 8. The conveyor sections78 and 79 are preferably mounted on a pedestal 81 in the center of base1 and it can readily be seen that when the tables are loweredsufficiently, the patterns and pattern plates can quickly and easily berolled out of the machine to be replaced by others when desired.

Positioned vertically between the flask conveyors and the upset framesand the louvered boxes 36 and 37 are four roller conveyor sections 83,S4, and 86 which extend substantially parallel to the roller barconveyors 45 through 48 but normal to the conveyors 59 and 60. Theconveyor 83 is mounted on the columns 9 and 10, the conveyors 84 and 85are mounted on the lower end of the depending frame member 26, and theconveyor 86 is mounted between the columns 7 and 8. These long rollerconveyor sections are joined at one end by an upstanding stop bar'88 asseen in FIGS. 1 and 4. As seen perhaps more clearly in FIG. 4, the pairof roller conveyor sections 83 and 84 for the cope molding machineportion carries a squeeze board 90, a sand chute 91, a further squeezeboard 92, and a carriage 93 supporting piston-cylinder assembly 94.Similarly, the roller conveyor sections 85 and 86 for the drag moldingportion of the machine carry squeeze board 95, sand chute 96, squeezeboard 97, the carriage 93 supporting pistoncylinder assembly 99. Thuseach of the pairs of roller conveyor sections carries an actuatingcylinder and two alternatively employable squeeze boards with a sandfill chute in the middle thereof. The rods and 101 of thepiston-cylinder assemblies 94 and 99 respectively, are pivotallyconnected to brackets 102 and 103 on the respective sand-chutes 91 and96. The sand chutes are then interconnected to the squeeze heads 90, 92and'95, 97 bythe links indicated at 104. The squeeze heads and the sandchutes are all provided with top flanges overlying therollers of theconveyor sections 83 through 86 and the frame of the machine is providedwith enlarged rigid portions shown at 105, 106, 107 and 108 whichoverlie such flanges of the selected squeeze head when in operativeposition. Thus a rigid frame back-up is provided for the squeeze headprecluding vertical elevation thereof. It is noted that the frameenlargements 106 and 107 are mounted on the center frame member 26whereas the enlarged portions and 108 are mounted on the columns 9, 10and 7, 8 respectively. Each of the carriages 93 and 98 is provided withtwo piston-cylinder operated latch mechanisms indicated generally at-106, 107 and 108, 109 respectively. (Note FIG. 4.) Since each of thelatch mechanisms 106 through 109 are substantially identical in form,the opposed latch members of-each pair being allochirally identical inform, only the latch member 109 on the carriage 98 will be described indetail.

Referring now additionally to FIGS. 5 and 6, it will be seen that thecarriage 98 includes a U-shape edge portion 111 which encloses theconveyor bar 86 and which provides a shoulder riding on the rollers 112on such conveyor bar. The latching mechanism 109 is mounted on the edgeof the carriage and includes an actuatingpiston-cylinder assembly 113,the rod 114 of which is pivotally connected to a latching member 115.Such latching member is pivoted as indicated at- 116 to a stanchion 117mounted on the carriage. A locking pin 118 is pivoted intermediately ofthe latching member and fits within an opening-119 in the carriage andextends through such opening to engage within pin hole 120 in theconveyor bar 86. Thus when the piston-cylinder assembly 113 is in itsretracted position, the latching member 115 will be pivoted downwardlyabout the pivot 116 and the pin 118 will be inserted through theaperture 119into the pinhole 120. In this manner, the carriage 109 willbe locked with respect to the conveyor bar 86. Conversely whenthepiston-cylinder assembly 113 is extended, the locking pin 118 will bepulled out of the pin hole 120 and the-carriage will be free to movewith respect to the conveyor bar. As the locking pin is pulled out, thetip 121 of the latching member 115 engages Within a notched cleat 122 onthe end of the facing sand cutoff plate 35. Accordingly in the relativeposition of the parts shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, for example, if thepistoncylinder assemblies 113 of each of the latching mechanisms 106through 169 are extended, the carriages then become latched to thefacing sand cut-off plates 34 and 35 for movement therewith, theextension of such pistoncylinder assemblies releasing the lock pins 118from engagement with the pin hole receptacles in the conveyor bars 83through 86. Thus extension of the pistoncylinder assemblies 38 through41 not only causes movement of the cut-off plates 34 and 35 to thephantom line position of the box 37 beneath the facing sand chute 31 asindicated at 124, but also moves the carriages 93 and 98 and theappurtenant squeeze heads and sand chutes to the phantom line positionindicated at 125 in FIGS. 1 and 6, for example. When the carriages havethus been moved, .the piston-cylinder assemblies 113 may be retractedand the locking pins 118 will be caused to engage in pin holes 126 inthe conveyor bars 83 through 86. In this manner, the carriages are thenlatched in the alternate position.

The carriages 93 and 98 may be provided with central humps indicatedgenerally at 130 in FIG. 5 and such piston-cylinder assemblies 94 and 99may be pivotally mounted to such carriages beneath the respective humpsas shown at 131 and 132 respectively. It can now be seen that when thecarriages 93 and 98 are properly anchored by the locking pins 118 in theselected position, they can move one of the squeeze boards into thecentral squeeze position, the selected squeeze board then altermating inthe operative position with the center sand chute. The length of therods 100 and 101 will be properly chosen to move the entire assembly adistance equal to the distance between the center of the chute and thecenters of the squeeze heads, the squeeze heads being symmetricallyarranged with respect to the center chutes.

It is then possible to shift the carriages and thus the squeeze boardactuating cylinders to either of two stations by latching the cylindersto the facing sand cutoff plates 34 and 35. In the phantom line position125, for example, the carriage cylinders can alternate the fill chutesand the squeeze boards 90 and 95. In the full line position, thecarriage cylinders can alternate the fill chutes and the squeeze boards92 and 97. It will, however, be understood that the shift of the squeezeboards is not necessarily done each cycle, but only when the operatordesires, as when changing patterns by lowering the tables to place thepatterns on the conveyor rollers 77 through 85.

Operation With the parts in the relative positions shown in FIG. 1 andwith molding sand within the hoppers 13 and 14 and facing sand withinthe hoppers 30 and 31, the pistoncylinder assemblies 38 through 41 areextended to move the louvered boxes 36 and 37 beneath the facing sandhoppers 3t) and 31. Facing sand then falls into each of the relativelyshallow boxes to form a layer of facing sand which will be a few inchesthick. Such sand falls through the centrally disposed opening in thecut-off plates. It will, of course, be understood that the extension ofthe piston-cylinder assemblies 38 through 41 may also be employed tomove the carriages to the alternate position indicated at 125 in phantomlines so as to employ, for example, the squeeze head 95 instead of thesqueeze head 97. When the piston-cylinder assemblies 38 through 41 areretracted, they, of course, may also be employed to return the carriagesto their full line position. Retraction of the cut-off plate 35 returnsthe box 37 to its full line position directly beneath the molding sandhopper 14 and it will be understood that the box is now filled with thefacing sand to the top of the cut-off plate 35. Retraction of thepiston-cylinder assembly 18 opens the mold- 6 ing sand cut-off plate anddrops a charge of molding sand onto the bottom layer of facing sand inthe container formed by boxes 43 and 37. When the charge is completed,the cut-off plate 16 is returned to its cut-off position. There is nowprovided a layered charge of sand in the chute 43, the bottom layerbeing facing sand within the box 37. While the sand charges for the copeand drag portions of the machine are being formed, cope and drag flaskswill be moved into the machine from the conveyor 57 onto the conveyorsections 59 and 6t) and suitable stops will hold such flasks in theproper horizontal position vertically aligned with the squeezepiston-cylinder assemblies 5 and 6. The sand fill chute 96 is placed inthe proper position by the extension or retraction as the case may be ofthe carriage cylinder 99. When the flasks are in proper position, alimit switch or the like will serve to energize hydraulic fluid systemsor the like to cause the piston-cylinder assemblies 5 and 6 to elevatethe tables 63 and 69. Continued elevation of such tables causes thepattern plates to engage the flasks and lift the flasks from theconveyors 59 and 60 into engagement with the upset frames 61 and 62.When the upset frames have thus been engaged by the top of the flask,the mold box has then been assembled, such mold box including the fillframe, flask and the pattern plate closing the bottom of the flask. Thisrelative position of the parts of the machine is indicated in FIG. 7.When this assembled condition of the mold box has been obtained, a limitswitch or the like may be employed to deenergize the further elevationof the table. The halting of such further elevation may then signal thepiston-cylinder assemblies 54 and 55 to open the louvers 53 of the boxes36 and 37 and the layered sand charge then drops into the completed moldbox as indicated in FIG. 7.

At this time, if the operator has selected the squeeze head 95, forexample, the carriage will have been positioned in the phantom lineposition indicated at 125 so that in order to position the chute 96centrally beneath the molding sand hopper 14, the rod 101 ofpiston-cylinder assembly 99 will have to be extended. Then by retracting such rod, the squeeze head will be positioned directly above themold box as seen in FIG. 8. It is noted that the chutes 91 and 96 may beprovided with depending strike-off plates 140 and 141 which will removeexcessive sand heaped above the fill frames 61 and 62. When the squeezehead 95 is in proper position, a limit switch or the like will signalthe hydraulic squeeze system again further to elevate thepiston-cylinder assemblies 5 and 6. It is noted that the marginaldimensions of the squeeze heads are chosen to fit closely down withinthe fill frames 61 and 62 so that in effect the fill frames willtelescope over the squeeze heads. Since the squeeze heads are backed bythe rigid portions 105 through 108 of the machine frame, it will be seenthat the sand S within the mold box will then be squeezed against arelatively fixed squeeze head. Whereas contoured rigid squeeze heads areillustrated, it will be understood that squeeze heads employing flexiblediaphragms or many piston-cylinder assemblies may equally well beemployed as, for example, those illustrated in the copending applicationof Edmond K. Hatch and Leon F. Miller, Serial No. 127,616, filed July28, 1961, entitled Squeeze Molding Machine. These heads may, of course,quickly and simply be substituted one for the other by removing thelinks 104.

As seen in FIG. 8, as the clamp or squeeze pistoncylinder assemblies 5and 6 continue the upward elevation of the tables, the sand S within themold boxes will be compacted between the patterns and the squeezeboards. The further elevation of the table will cause the rods of thepiston-cylinder assemblies 63 and 64 to extend since such cylinders arefixed whereas the fill frames will be lifted by the elevation of thetable. When the pressure in the hydraulic squeeze system reaches apredetermined maximum, the piston-cylinder assemblies may be caused tolower the table which will telescope the fill frame out of the squeezehead 95 and continued lowering of the tables separates the fill framesfrom the flasks which are maintained on top of such flasks by the airunder pressure in the piston-cylinder assemblies 63 and 64. Furthercontinued lowering will cause the flasks to rest upon the rollers ofconveyors 59 and 60 and further lowering will draw the pattern from themold.

While this occurs, the piston-cylinders 38 through 41 again shuttle thesand boxes 36 and 37 beneath the facing sand hoppers 30 and 31 to havedeposited therein a layer of facing sand and retraction of suchpiston-cylinder assemblies will again place the box beneath the moldingsand chutes and retraction of the piston-cylinder assemblies 17 and 18will place a charge of molding sand on top of the facing sand. Thecharges of sand are then ready for the next cycle of operation. When thetables have been lowered beneath the conveyors 59 and 60, the completedsand molds will then be shuttled from the machine on the conveyor 58 asshown at 145.

A limit switch or the like will halt the tables in the position shown inPEG. 3, for example, but this limit switch can readily be overridden tolower further the tables to deposit the pattern plates on the rollers 77through 89 so that they can be shuttled out of the machine and replacedby other patterns of a different configuration. Similarly, thepiston-cylinder assemblies 38 through 41 may be employed to place thecarriages 93 and 98 in either of the alternate positions and thepistoncylinder assemblies 113 may be employed both to lock and unlocksuch carriages with respect to the conveyor members 83 through 86 and tolatch such carriages to the facing sand cut-off plates 34 and 35 formovement therewith.

It can now be seen that there is provided a foundry molding machinewhich will produce a sand foundry mold having a layer of facing sandindicated at 146 in FIG. 3 with the remainder of the mold comprisingmolding sand shown at 147. A more versatile machine is thus providedwhich can meet casting finish requirements necessitating the use of aseparate facing sand. It will, of course, be understood that the facingsand need not be added to the sand charge and that the entire charge maybe composed of molding sand from the hopper 14.

Not only can a pattern quickly be changed increasing the versatility ofthe machine, but the operator can quickly select the squeeze head orboard to be employed with the selected pattern. If desired, theproduction of the various molds for the foundry may be programmed andsuitable patterns and squeeze boards may be automatically placed in themachine at the completion of the proper number of molds for theparticular pattern previously programmed. It is thus apparent that ahighly versatile foundry molding machine is provided which can quicklyaccommodate many pattern changes and casting finish requirementsnecessitating the use of facing sand.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed,change being made as regards the details described, provided thefeatures stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of suchbe employed.

I, therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as myinvention:

1. A foundry molding machine comprising a base, upstanding columns, ahead supported on said columns, said head including a molding sandreservoir and a facing sand reservoir, transfer means mounted to shuttlebetween said molding and facing sand reservoirs to form a sand chargefor said molding machine comprised of a layer of molding sand and alayer of facing sand, clamp means to assemble a flask and pattern plateto form a mold box beneath said assembled sand charge, means responsiveto the assemblage of such mold box to dump such sand charge from saidtransfer means into such mold box, means laterally to shift a squeezehead into operative position between said transfer means and mold box,said squeeze head being marginally dimensioned to fit within the top ofsuch mold box whereupon further elevation of said clamp means will beoperative to squeeze the layered sand charge in such mold box againstsaid squeeze head.

2. A machine as set forth in claim 1 including an alternative squeezehead connected to said first mentioned squeeze head, and means operativeselectively in response to the shuttling movement of said transfer meansto place said alternative squeeze head in operative position.

3. A machine as set forth in claim 1 including pattern shuttling meansoperative to lift such pattern from said clamp means as said clamp meansis lowered to facilitate pattern changes.

4. A machine as set forth in claim 1 including a composite carriagemounted for shuttling movement between said transfer means and clampmeans, said composite carriage including alternative squeeze headsseparated by a sand chute, and means to shuttle the selected squeezehead and said sand chute into operative position above said clamp means.

5. A machine as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means to shuttle theselected squeeze head into operative position comprises apiston-cylinder assembly, said piston-cylinder assembly being mounted ona cylinder carriage forming part of said composite carriage, and meansto lock said cylinder carriage in alternative positions whereat saidpiston-cylinder assembly will be op erative to shuttle the respectiveselected squeeze head into operative position.

6. A machine as set forth in claim 5 wherein said cylinder carriageincludes piston-cylinder operated latch means operative both tointerconnect said cylinder carriage with said transfer means formovement therewith and to latch said cylinder carriage in saidalternative positions.

7. A foundry molding machine comprising a rectangular base, columnmembers extending vertically from the corners of said base andsupporting a rectangular head thereon, a pair of vertically extendingclamp pistons in said rectangular base, and means to shuttle cope anddrag flasks or the like longitudinally into said machine to be alignedwith said clamp piston-cylinder assemblies, molding sand reservoir meansin said head vertically aligned with said piston-cylinder assemblies,facing sand reservoir means laterally adjacent said molding sandreservoir means, transfer means for each verticaliy extending clamppiston-cylinder assembly, and means mounting said transfer means forlateral shuttling movement to and from positions beneath the respectivemolding sand reservoirs and facing sand reservoirs to form a layeredsand charge of facing and molding sand in vertical alignment with therespective vertically extending clamp piston-cylinder assemblies and therespective cope and drag flasks, fill frame means mounted on said flaskshuttling means in vertical alignment with the respective verticallyextending clamp piston-cylinder assemblies, table means on saidvertically extending clamp pistoncylinder assemblies adapted to supportcope and drag patterns, means operative to energize said verticallyextending clamp piston-cylinde assemblies to raise said table means toengage the cope and drag flasks respectively lifting the same from saidflask conveyor shuttling means and to engage said upset frames, a pairof carriage means mounted for lateral shuttling movement between saidupset frames and said transfer means, said carriage means including asand chute and squeeze head, means operative to dump such sand chargesfrom said transfer means through said sand chute into such cope and dragflasks, and means laterally to shift said carriage means to replace saidsand chute with said squeeze head whereupon further elevation of saidvertically extending clamp piston-cylinder assemblies will be operativeto squeeze 9 the sand thus placed in such flasks against said squeezeheads.

8. A machine as set forth in claim 7 including interconnectedalternativesqueeze heads on each said carriage means, and means operativeselectively in response to movement of said transfer means to place saidalternative squeeze heads in operative position.

9. A machine as set forth in claim 7 including pattern shuttling meansextending laterally through said machine, and means responsive tolowering of said vertically extending clamp piston-cylinder assembliesto place such patterns on said pattern shuttling means for removal fromthe machine.

10. In a foundry molding machine, a molding sand reservoir, a moldingsand cut-01f plate at the bottom of said molding sand reservoir, a sandbox extending beneath said molding sand reservoir, and a second cut-offplate at the bottom of said box, said second cut-off plate including ashallow box, a facing sand reservoir, said second cut-off plateextending across the bottom of said facing sand reservoir, meansoperative to shuttle said second cut-off plate and said shallow boxtherein from beneath said sand box and said molding sand reservoir tobeneath said facing sand reservoir, whereby said shallow box ispositioned beneath said facing sand reservoir to be filled with facingsand, and then to be returned beneath said molding sand reservoir to bebacked by a charge of molding sand when said molding sand cut-off plateis opened.

11. A machine as set forth in claim 10 including means to adjust thevolume of molding sand placed in such charge.

12. A machine as set forth in claim 10 including means to adjust thevolume of facing sand placed in such charge.

13. A molding machine as set forth in claim 10 including means to raiseand lower said second cut-oft plate with respect to said molding sandcut-off plate to control the volume of molding sand placed in suchcharge, and means to control the depth of said shallow box to controlthe volume of facing sand placed in such charge.

14. In a foundry molding machine having a vertically extending clamppiston with a table mounted thereon adapted to support a pattern or thelike, means operative to elevate said clamp piston and thus said tableto engage a flask or the like to form a mold box, a sand chute mountedfor horizontal shuttling movement above such mold box having selectivelyemployable squeeze heads on either side thereof, and means operative toreplace said sand chute with the selected one of said squeeze headsafter such mold box has been filled with sand through said sand chute.

15. A machine as set forth in claim 14 wherein said means operative toreplace said sand chute with the selected squeeze head comprises apiston-cylinder assembly, the rod of which is connected to said sandchute, said piston-cylinder assembly being mounted on a cylindercarriage, and means operative to shift said cylinder carriage toalternative positions whereby said pistoncylinder assembly will beoperative to place the selected one of said squeeze heads in operativeposition.

16. In a foundry molding machine, a horizontally extending support, asand chute mounted on said support, squeeze heads mounted on saidsupport on each side of said sand chute, and means operative toreciprocate said sand chute and the selected squeeze head into operativesand filling and sand squeezing positions above a mold box or the like.

17. The machine as set forth in claim 16 including a sand reservoir, asand box mounted beneath said reservoir for horizontal shuttlingmovement, and means releasably interconnecting said sand box and squeezeheads operative selectively to shift with said sand box the selectedsqueeze head into operative position.

18. In a foundry molding machine, an upstanding frame, a sand reservoirsupported on said upstanding frame, a sand box mounted beneath said sandreservoir for movement from a sand filling to a sand dumping position,track means beneath said sand box supporting a plurality of squeezeheads and a sand chute, and means operative to shift said sand chute andthe selected squeeze head to sand filling and squeezing positionsrespectively.

19. A machine as set forth in claim 18 including means operativereleasably to latch said chute and squeeze heads to said sand box formovement therewith along said track means operatively to position aselected one of said squeeze heads.

20. A latch mechanism for interconnecting components of a foundrymolding machine or the like comprising a first shiftable component, asecond shiftable component riding on a fixed member; a latch memberpivoted to said second shiftable component, a piston-cylinder assemblyfor pivoting said latch member selectively into engagement with saidfirst shiftable component to latch said first and second componentstogether for movement as a unit, and lock means operative in response tothe disengagement of said latch member to lock said second component tosaid fixed member.

21. A latch mechanism as set forth in claim 20 wherein said lock meanscomprises a locking pin pivoted to said latch member for movementtherewith.

22. The method of forming a foundry mold which comprises placing a firstlayer of facing material of uniform depth such as fine sand in thebottom of a container, placing a second layer of relatively coarsemolding sand upon such layer of facing sand, opening the bottom of suchcontainer to discharge both such layers simultaneously by gravity into amold box against a pattern therein, and mechanically squeezing thecontents of such box against such pattern to form a foundry mold havingsuch fine facing material in contact with such pattern.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 618,080 1/99Farwell 22-46 666,875 l/Ol Reeves 74-480 77 8,329 12/04 Pipher 22-462,599,262 6/52 Kvederis 22-20 2,626,053 1/ 5 3 McIlvaine 22-35 2,686,3458/54 Young 22-35 2,787,465 4/57 De LaMatte 74-40 2,951,270 9/60 Taccone22-35 2,956,317 10/60 Peasley 22-46 2,968,846 1/ 61 Miller 22-412,988,789 6/ 61 Taccone 22-42 OTHER REFERENCES Foundry Core Practice, byH. W. Dietert, published by American Foundrymens Soc., 1950, pages117-118.

WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON, Primary Examiner.

MARCUS U. LYONS, ROBERT F. WHITE, MICHAEL V. BRINDISI, Examiners.

1. A FOUNDRY MOLDING MACHINE COMPRISING A BASE, UPSTANDING COLUMNS, AHEAD SUPPORTED ON SAID COLUMNS, SAID HEAD INCLUDING A MOLDING SANDRESERVOIR AND A FACING SAND RESERVOIR, TRANSFER MEANS MOUNTED TO SHUTTLEBETWEEN SAID MOLDING AND FACING SAND RESERVOIRS TO FORM A SAND CHARGEFOR SAID MOLDING MACHINE COMPRISED OF A LAYER OF MOLDING SAND AND ALAYEROF FACING SAND, CLAMP MEANS TO ASSEMBLE A FLASK AND PATTEREN PLATE TOFORM A MOLD BOX BENEATH SAID ASSEMBLED SAID CHARGE, MEANS RESPONSIVE TOTHE ASSEMBLAGE OF SUCH MOLD BOX TO DUMP SUCH SAND CHARGE FROM SAIDTRANSFER MEANS INTO SUCH MOLD BOX, MEANS LATERALLY TO SHIFT A SQUEEZEHEAD INTO OPERATIVE POSITION BETWEEN SAID TRANSFER MEANS AND MOLD BOX,SAID SQUEEZE HEAD BEING MARGINALLY DIMENSIONED TO FIT WITHIN THE TOP OFSUCH MOLD BOX WHEREUPON FURTHER